She lasted only 1 minute and 22 seconds, and even that, the experts agreed, was thanks to the sportsmanship of her opponent in not finishing her off sooner.

But for the women of Saudi Arabia, the blink-and-you-missed-it performance of a nervous 16-year-old in the judo arena on Friday might, just might, have been the start of something significant.

Saudi Arabian women are not permitted to take part in PE at school in their home country, or join a sports club, or even attend a sporting event as a spectator. But thanks to the persistence of the International Olympic Committee, determined to make these the first Games in which every nation would field both men and women, the country was arm-twisted into allowing them to compete in London.

And so, at 10.33am on Friday, Wojdan Shaherkani, pictured in white, became the unlikeliest of history-makers: the first woman from the kingdom ever to compete at the Games.

It could scarcely have been less of a sporting contest, despite the loud cheer that greeted her arrival in the arena, with many in the audience on their feet to applaud.

Shaherkani has attained only a blue belt in judo, two grades below a black belt; she nervously parried a few gentle approaches from her opponent in the 78kg contest, Puerto Rico's Melissa Mojica, pushing her hands away with her own, before Mojica grabbed her by the collar and turned her on to her back in an ippon throw, ending the contest in a single manoeuvre.

The 16-year-old, never before permitted to compete at an international competition, seemed unsure what to do next, walking from the mat before being directed to turn to bow to her opponent in accordance with judo's protocol.

Saudi Arabia, insistent for months that it would "not endorse" female competitors, finally backed down in June when it became apparent that Bahrain and Qatar would let women compete for the first time. Saudi participation was then thrown into doubt once again after it became apparent that the only woman to be found who met Olympic standards, the showjumper Dalma Rushdi Malhas, would be unable to compete as her horse was injured.

Shaherkani was named as a competitor for Saudi Arabia only three weeks ago along with the 800m runner Sarah Attar, who has joint US citizenship and is based in San Diego. Both required a waiver to allow them to compete despite failing by some distance to reach the qualifying standard in their disciplines.

If that were not a turbulent enough journey to the Games for Shaherkani, the International Judo Federation ruled last week that she would not be permitted to fight in a hijab, citing safety reasons. It backed down only on Tuesday, three days before her fight, allowing her to wear a tight black cap covering her hair.

All of which meant that when Shaherkani and Attar, 19, appeared in the opening ceremony last Friday, walking behind the male competitors, the judo player still did not know whether she would be allowed to compete.

Their presence, all the same, was highly significant for a movement in which underrepresentation of women has long been the norm. In Los Angeles in 1984, fewer than a quarter of competitors were women; 12 years later in Atlanta, 26 countries were still fielding no women. In London, 4,847 women are competing, 44% of the total; the contribution of every nation to that tally, Rogge said at the opening ceremony, "is a major boost for gender equality".

Referring to Shaherkani and the Qatari sprinter Noor al-Malki, one of four Qatari women athletes also competing for the first time, Debbie Jevans, Locog's director of sport, said: "The fact they were there, they were competing and taking part, I definitely regard that as a huge positive and it was a thrill for us to see them competing."

Al-Malki's Games ended in heartbreak, however, when she appeared to pull a hamstring a few metres out of the blocks in her 100m heat. For Shaherkani, stepping down from the mat after her contest to a standing ovation, it all got a little too much. She walked into the arms of her father, a judo referee who is also her trainer, and broke down in tears.

She was taken from the bout into a scrum of the world's media, which can have been scarcely less intimidating than the match itself. "I was disturbed and afraid at the beginning," she said. "It was my first time in a big competition and there was a lot of pressure because of the hijab issue. I was not comfortable because I didn't have any experience of big events. It took its toll on me."

Hani Kamel Najan, president of the country's judo federation, expressed disappointment, apparently without irony, that she hadn't won a medal, but said: "I think it is a milestone we have achieved. We are so proud and delighted that she has been able to make it."

And what next for the teenager described by Rogge as a "symbol"? "I'm proud, I'm happy and I want to continue in judo." The hope, now, is that she and her countrywomen will be permitted to do so.